Doggett looks to add to Australia's pace bowling depth

With an experience of over 200 first-class wickets, Brendan Doggett is no stranger to trials of competitive cricket, which involve missing out on a berth in the side due to injuries or competition.

For years, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood along with Nathan Lyon have been the face of Australia's bowling attack. To add Scott Boland, who has achieved cult status due to his exploits at home in recent years - averaging merely 16.2 in Australia, to the equation means that other promising pacers have more often than not missed out on a Test berth.

Brendan Doggett during his debut series against England last year. //Getty Images//

Doggett's own Test experience is of two Tests, which came during the last home season courtesy of injuries to senior pacers. Part of the Australia 'A' setup for the upcoming first-class tour of India, Doggett is planning to be in the right headspace ahead of Australia's important ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 assignments, which will see them face-off against South Africa (away), New Zealand (home), and India (away).

"I think it's probably what (player missing out) happens when you have such quality fast bowlers who have played for such a long time in Josh [Hazlewood], Pat [Cummins], Starcy [Mitchell Starc]," Doggett said at a Big Bash League event in Chennai. "These guys have just probably built a backlog of young fast bowlers who are trying to emulate everything that they've done and what they've achieved.

"So fast-bowling depth in Australia is very strong. All these guys are good enough to get to the top level at some point through their careers. I don't think there's any need to worry about the fast-bowling depth in Australia. Hopefully, opportunities will arise for me. So personally, it's just stay ready, stay fit, and perform when I do get an opportunity, and let the rest take care of itself. Playing for Australia is a massive ambition of mine."

The busy Test schedule over the coming months, will mean that Doggett will be in contention. This is where the other important challenge in a cricketer's career comes in: fitness.

The India tour will be a first competitive outing for Doggett since a major hamstring injury in February this year. The pacer bowled a number of overs in the practice session ahead of his media interaction.

"The body is going well so far," Doggett discussed his fitness. "I've been up and bowling and look forward to performing against India A and hopefully playing some Test cricket.

"I've been up and running at full fitness now for probably the last two months. So everything's feeling good and in check. Coming off a winter back home, the conditions are going to be vastly different here. But, we've done a bit of heat adaptation work and obviously got the workloads through the body.

"So, it's going to be a great start to our season for us."

Apart from proving his fitness and putting up his name as a contender in the pace department, Doggett will also get used to the conditions in India. With a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series coming up early next year, the pacer hopes to leave his mark if he were picked for the senior setup.

"Hopefully, I can be part of the Border-Gavaskar Test squad. I think that's one of the big series as an Australian.

"You know, growing up watching Test cricket in India, it looks like a real grind and a different challenge to what we're used to in Australia and also what you get in England. So, yeah, hopefully I can be part of that squad and be able to play a role in that series."